Plant growers are always looking for new methods for manipulating yield of a plant, especially for enhancing seed yield of an economically important plant such as soybean. Further, manipulation of seed yield or seed production time is useful in advancing a seed quickly through the product development phases such as through growth chamber, nursery, green house, and field testing.
Applicants have been able to manipulate the yield of a short day plant such as soybean plant by manipulating its vegetative and flowering responses with external signals such as exposure to long day growing conditions, exposure to short day growing conditions, growth medium, and nutrient supply. Further, the method can be used for identifying yield genes involved in such as genes involved in early induction of flowering, pod set, and retention and/or abscission of flowers and pods.